"I… I feel like my body is becoming really strange…"
Ivsha's voice trembled as she turned to Kurose Akira for help.
"Ivsha?"Akira turned his head in confusion—only to discover that Ivsha had already entered a full combat state.
Her nun's habit had fallen away like withered petals, scattered across the ground. Behind her, the heart-shaped tail swayed gently, as though it could hardly wait to savor the taste of Holy Light.
The sight made Akira instinctively take a step back. His gaze shifted toward Idiss.
His eyes were filled with confusion, silently asking: What's wrong with Ivsha?
After all, even if Ivsha was extremely enthusiastic about life rituals, she wouldn't normally act this uninhibited in front of strangers.
Especially not with Idiss present.
Ivsha didn't like Idiss.
Even though… technically, they were the same person.
Idiss seemed to read the doubt in Akira's expression and calmly explained,
"In the birthplace of succubi, their desires are amplified—to one hundred times their normal intensity."
"One hundred times?" Akira froze in shock after hearing the explanation.
Ivsha's desire had already been intense enough before. If it was now multiplied by a hundred…
When he looked at Ivsha again, Akira was stunned to see that her skin had turned an alluring cherry-red. Her succubus traits had grown even more pronounced. The demonic horns on her head were faintly glowing with a soft pink light, as if revealing the endless longing deep within her heart.
Her body trembled slightly under the force of that desire, as though she couldn't wait any longer to taste the mysteries of the Holy Light.
"Then why are you fine?" Akira asked, turning toward Idiss with suspicion.
She seemed completely unaffected—her expression hadn't changed in the slightest.
"Me?" Idiss glanced at Akira indifferently, as if considering how to respond.
After a few seconds of silence, she finally said,
"Didn't I already tell you? I have no interest in that sort of thing."
"?"
Akira was about to ask another question when suddenly a gust of wind swept past him. His body sank heavily—
Ivsha had already pounced and pinned him to the ground.
"Mr. Akira~ I heard it~ I really heard it~"
Her voice carried a dreamy obsession. She cupped Akira's face in both hands. In her pale-violet eyes, heart-shaped lights shimmered brightly, while a glistening thread of saliva slid from the corner of her lips and dripped onto Akira's cheek.
"Heard what?" Akira asked, completely bewildered. What could Ivsha possibly have heard to cause such an extreme reaction?
Before he could finish speaking, Ivsha extended a slender finger and pressed it lightly against his chest, slowly sliding downward.
As her finger moved, the clothes on Akira's body were effortlessly torn open with a ripping sound. Dark-purple flames instantly spread across the fabric, reducing the entire outfit to ashes.
"???"
Akira's expression immediately darkened.
He knew Ivsha was in a hurry, sure—but did she really have to destroy his one-silver-coin special combat suit?
His half-dragon transformation relied on that thing to preserve a bit of dignity!
Still…
Akira had torn apart plenty of stockings and delicate garments in the past. Yet somehow, the sound of a battle suit ripping apart was surprisingly satisfying.
Next time I should try tearing one myself.
"I heard it…"Ivsha leaned down close to his ear and whispered seductively,
"The call of the Holy Light~"
"Huh?"
Akira raised an eyebrow, utterly baffled.
The call of the Holy Light? What kind of nonsense is that?
But the next second, Ivsha embraced the Holy Light fully—and the [Death Coil] trait erupted at its maximum effect.
"(〃＞皿＜)!"
Akira hurriedly controlled the flow of his magic, activating his half-dragon transformation instantly to resist the negative effects of [Death Coil].
The reason he was struggling so hard was simple.
Idiss was watching from the side!
Was this what she meant by testing his limits?!
Unlike Akira's frantic struggle, Idiss stood calmly with her arms folded beneath her chest, quietly observing the two of them.
Her eyes showed no obvious emotion.
Yet faintly, it almost looked as though a tiny heart was beating within them.
"…"
Akira froze for a split second.
And in that single moment, he lost control of the Holy Light—it burst forth like fireworks.
"Mr. Akira, could you please be a little more serious?"
Ivsha quickly lifted his face again, hoping he would focus more on the life ritual.
At the same time, she gently traced the brilliant beam of light with her fingertips, channeling a trace of magic into it and making it shine even brighter.
Faced with this situation, Akira could only temporarily push Idiss out of his mind and concentrate fully on conquering Ivsha.
Time passed… though he had no idea how long.
"Today's Mr. Akira is so hardworking and brave~"
Ivsha lightly fluttered her wings, absorbing the sacred radiance as she floated up into the air.
She always enjoyed savoring the Holy Light in this suspended posture.
Meanwhile, Akira's consciousness had already grown somewhat hazy.
Even with the 50% anti-succubus bonus provided by the succubus ring, he still couldn't overcome Ivsha while she possessed the [Death Coil] ability.
"This child…"
Idiss stood silently to the side, having witnessed the entire life ritual—from the brilliance of the Holy Light to its eventual fading.
She now had a deeper understanding of Akira's potential.
But what surprised her even more was that Ivsha had actually managed to suppress that dazzling radiance of Holy Light.
Idiss couldn't comprehend it.
How had the child she created grown to such a degree?
Her crimson eyes fixed tightly on Akira.
Just what method did this man use… to make Ivsha crave life magic more than a hundred succubi combined?
However, Idiss didn't have much time to dwell on that question.
With a light snap of her fingers, the bottle Ivsha had chosen earlier appeared in her hand—
The Blood of the Demon Lord of Lust.
She slowly walked toward Akira.
Because Akira was currently floating in midair, their eyes met at a somewhat unusual angle.
Idiss gently opened the bottle. A strange fragrance immediately spread through the air—intoxicating and irresistible.
"Drink it."
With her fingertip, she softly pried open Akira's lips and attempted to pour the blood inside.
"I want to see where your limit truly lies."
But she quickly discovered that Akira's teeth had subtly changed structure in his half-dragon form. The blood couldn't easily flow into his mouth.
Idiss frowned slightly, wondering how to solve the problem.
She tilted her head upward.
Ivsha was still floating in midair, completely immersed in absorbing the Holy Light, incapable of responding to anything happening outside.
Idiss sighed helplessly. She cast a cold glance at the nearly unconscious Akira and muttered,
"What a useless man~"
Then she lifted the bottle—
—and drank the Blood of the Demon Lord of Lust herself.
Immediately afterward, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against Akira's.
The moment their lips touched, Akira's hazy consciousness instantly became crystal clear.
[You have consumed the Blood of the Demon Lord of Lust.][Special combat power increased by 100%!][You have gained the favor of the Demon Lord of Lust.][Lust resistance increased by 500%!]
"?"
Akira's eyes flew wide open, starlight flickering in his pupils.
Resistance increased?
Five hundred percent?!
He suddenly felt like he had grown stronger again.
Wait…
Akira suddenly realized that Idiss was kissing him.
What was going on?!
While his mind had been fully focused on controlling the Holy Light… what exactly had happened?
Before he could figure it out, Idiss had already pulled away.
Dark-red ripples lingered faintly between them, like threads that had not yet fully snapped.
"How do you feel?"Idiss asked coldly.
"A bit… soft…"
"?"
Idiss frowned slightly.
That was not what she meant.
Still, she didn't bother asking further. She simply stepped back and said calmly,
"Begin."
"…"
Akira remained silent for several seconds.
Then he looked at Ivsha—still absorbing the Holy Light—and a smile slowly curved across his lips.
After drinking the Blood of the Demon Lord of Lust, he could feel it clearly.
He was no longer the same person as before.
And the Holy Light was no longer the same either.
"Hoo…"
Akira took a deep breath, his dragon wings slowly spreading behind him.
As his strength continued to grow, the draconic traits of his half-dragon transformation had become more pronounced.
Those wings, which once seemed purely decorative, now stretched nearly two meters long each.
"M-Mr. Akira?"
Ivsha, who had been immersed in the Holy Light, stared in shock at the suddenly revitalized Akira. The heart-shaped glow in her pupils flickered even more rapidly.
"My turn now."
"Eek~"
(What follows is a private instructional session… approximately one hundred thousand words omitted…)
…
At the same time, in the royal capital of the Kingdom of Starlight, Lucia and the others were waiting for Akira's return.
Because time flowed differently in the Abyss compared to the Magical Continent, only about an hour had passed for them.
"Guild Master still hasn't come back?"Beafry and Beafro, the twin sisters, spoke with clear concern in their voices.
Even though only an hour had passed, they were already beginning to miss their Guild Master.
Lucia said softly,
"If they haven't returned before nightfall, we can head back to the guild first."
Those were the instructions Akira had given before leaving. If night arrived and he still hadn't returned, they could safely return to the guild through the teleportation array.
Lucia herself wasn't too worried. It gave her a chance to wait for the outcome within the Kingdom of Starlight.
Due to the appearance of the Night Witch, the event had been interrupted.
Most players were still gathered in the royal capital, waiting for the kingdom's response.
Since Idiss had gone to the Abyss, the situation on site was temporarily handled by the Second Princess, Katerin.
Under her command, along with assistance from the Holy Church's Saintess Wynesan and the stabilizing presence of the Starlight Knight Aremos, the chaotic situation was quickly brought under control.
Player rewards would still be distributed on schedule, bringing the turmoil to an end.
As for Prince Laps, he had been escorted away from the capital immediately by his retainers.
"Who would've thought that just being a little late would make us miss so much?"
Honglian and the others were currently listening to Loserine recount everything that had happened in the royal capital. Due to certain circumstances, they had arrived slightly late.
"Ah, what a shame. We missed such a spectacular show!" Honglian laughed lightly, shaking her head in regret.
Lucia turned toward Honglian and Petiko with curiosity.
"What were you two busy with? Why did you arrive so late?"
"We were preparing for the upcoming guild war," Honglian explained. "Guild Master said this one will be a bit special—it might affect the progress toward becoming an A-rank guild."
"Guild war…" Lucia murmured thoughtfully.
Their own guild, Puff Fantasyland, had recently advanced to C-rank, which meant they now qualified to participate in guild wars.
Unfortunately, their guild master currently seemed to be… busy with other matters.
"By the way, where is your guild master?" Honglian suddenly asked Loserine curiously.
She had something she wanted to discuss with Akira but hadn't seen him anywhere.
Loserine replied,
"The Guild Master left for some business. We don't know when he'll return."
Honglian sighed helplessly.
"I was hoping to ask him about something. Looks like I'll have to wait."
Beafry and Beafro leaned closer with sparkling curiosity.
"Aunt Honglian, what did you want to ask Guild Master about? We can pass along the message!"
Honglian smiled.
"It's about a physical durability collision test. Your guild master has that half-dragon transformation, right? I just learned a new spell recently and wanted to test its effects on him."
"A… physical durability collision test?"
The twin sisters exchanged confused glances, clearly unfamiliar with such a testing method.
"Hahaha!"
Honglian burst into laughter and rubbed their heads.
"That's the kind of romance you magic-focused elves wouldn't understand! The fusion of body and magic is the best!"
The twins remained puzzled.
But Lucia, who had been listening quietly nearby, reacted differently.
Honglian's words echoed in her heart like the toll of a bell at dawn, sending ripples through her thoughts.
Collision…?
…
"M-Mr. Akira… I'm really full this time~"
Deep within the Abyss, Ivsha finally raised a white flag toward Akira.
Her dark-purple pupils were filled with confusion, though a satisfied smile curved across her lips.
"You're really full?"
"Mhm~ I really can't eat another bite~"
"Then I'll spare you this time."
"Thank you for your generosity and mercy, Mr. Akira~"
A proud grin appeared on Akira's face.
He had finally defeated Ivsha again—
and this time it was Ivsha empowered with [Death Coil]!
Praise the Holy Light!
As for this sacred battle, Idiss had remained seated in the spectator's seat the entire time.
Because even after drinking the Blood of the Demon Lord of Lust, Akira's strength had only barely matched Ivsha's.
So throughout the process, Idiss had quietly whispered instructions into Akira's ear.
For example, she told him where a succubus's hidden weak points were, and what kind of "cheese strategies" could most easily shatter a succubus's magic patterns.
Of course, she hadn't considered that the strategies she was teaching Akira might one day be used against her.
"Not bad. I suppose you barely pass."
Idiss nodded in satisfaction, acknowledging Akira's performance.
"Barely pass?" Akira frowned.
After defeating Ivsha, his ego had been soaring.
But in Idiss's evaluation, he had only managed a passing grade?
"What else would it be?"
Idiss glanced at him with icy indifference.
"Do you actually think that your current self is qualified to satisfy my requirements?"
"I want to try."